Through my many forays into the job market, I have anxiously awaited responses from employers, either to application materials I had sent out in response to a job ad, or as a follow-up after I had interviewed with them. Through these experiences, I have come to identify several different employer communication styles: The “As-If-You-Didn’t-Know-Already” late response guy, also known as the “In-Case-You-Were-Thinking-of-Calling-a-Moving-Truck” guy This person is one of the most frustrating of the bunch. He is the one who tells you months (and sometimes years) after your application has been submitted that “the search process has ended and the position has been filled.” This typically happens after you have heard…
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The Great American Cleanup: A Great Chance to Build Your Skills
The Great American Cleanup , an initiative of the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful (KAB) , began last month on March 1st and runs through May 31st of this year. Last year, over 3 million people volunteered for this initiative and cleaned up parks, schools, and waterways, planted trees and community gardens, started recycling efforts across America, and more. While Earth Day is almost upon us, and while I’m an active member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Audubon Society, this is not a plug for you to get green and take an interest in cleaning up the environment–though I certainly support those ideas! It is instead an opportunity to…
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Common Errors in Preparing Application Materials: How to Avoid Them: Part 2
Guest Writer: Elaine Diggs, NCC, Career Counselor in OITE’s Career Center In a post to this blog last month, I described several errors I often see when reviewing application materials for fellows who are seeking employment following completion of their time as trainees at the NIH. The errors we considered were using a curriculum vitae (c.v.) when a résumé is the proper document to use, and failing to state specifically in a cover letter how your background and qualifications match the requirements of the position for which you are applying. Listed below are some other errors I frequently see when reviewing c.v.’s, résumés, and cover letters: Common errors made when…
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Finding the Perfect Postdoc
If you are thinking about applying for a postdoc, there are a few points to consider before starting your search. Do you need a postdoc? If you are nearing the completion of a PhD program in science, you may think that your next career move should be a postdoctoral fellowship of some kind. However, your PhD alone qualifies you for a myriad of opportunities. A few potential job titles for science PhDs include: Congressional Fellow, Museum Educator, Medical Illustrator, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Freelance Science Writer, Investment Manager…and this list goes on. To explore what types of jobs are available for PhD-level scientists, check out the career profiles on Science Careers…
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Preparing for Graduate and Professional School
Below are the contents of today’s LIVE chat with OITE regarding graduate and professional school choices. Live Chat with OITE, April 7, 2010, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm If you have additional questions after reading the text of the chat, please contact Dr. Sharon Milgram. 0
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Where the Jobs Are: Opportunities in the Federal Government
Last fall, the Partnership for Public Service conducted a survey to assess projected hiring needs for agencies within the federal government. The survey found that nearly 273,000 jobs will be available in the federal government through 2012, and of these, 54,114–a full 20% of all positions–fall into the medical, public health, and general health sciences category. These numbers are only projections and will be impacted by the actual number of federal employees who retire in the next few years, but the federal government will still post a significant number of job openings from 2010-2012. Following are a few of the federal positions currently available. I list these particular jobs to…
